The Nightmare Game
by StarKnight2.0
Summary: People are going missing only to end up in another part of the world insane and crazed. the team soon finds themselves fighting an unscrupulous enemy. the only way they'll survive is to follow the words of a madman called "The Doctor"
1. Ch1 In which Sarah Dies

**(a/n: here ya go, a new story.)**

The Nightmare Game Ch 1

Sarah Foster ran. She ran far and fast, her heart hammered in her chest, sweat trickled down her face.

Sara dashed through the endless darkness, ducking past large obstacles and obstructions. She could barely see five feet in front of her but she didn't care, all she knew was that she had to run as fast as she can, that's what he wants.

If she stopped running then he will get her like Jack, Lily and Allen.

She glanced back behind her and saw shadows moving after her slowly but relentlessly. The sounds of squeaks, creaks and other odd sounds drifted through the silent dark followed by soft voices chanting a nursery rhyme with glee.

Sarah's leg connected with something solid and she was sent stumbling over the solid object and her face connected to solid ground. Sarah groaned, her head spun and she scrambled to her feet awkwardly, hearing the voices and noises getting ever closer she turned quickly and hid behind a large dark shape a few feet away, she held her breath, her heart hammered in her chest rapidly as she listened for her pursuers.

For a few minutes all was silent but the creaking and squeaks grew louder and louder till she saw a single bright light, emanating from a rusty old lantern.

The lantern casted a pale light over their surroundings, showing the mountains of junk that inhabit the forsaken realm she was trapped in. She noticed that that the object she was hiding behind was a large wooden chest. Sarah watched her pursuers glance around them, looking for a sign of her; she ducked behind the chest praying that they didn't see her and they would just move on.

She glanced to her side and noticed a small mirror showing the reflection of her pursuers, they just glanced around then continued marching onward. Sarah sighed and relaxed a little; she slowly drew quiet breaths as she pulled out a small pencil and a few crumpled pages she tore out of her notebook hours ago.

She began scribbling down hastily a warning to anyone else that might be sucked into the same nightmarish problem like her and her friends. She frowned and tears formed in her eyes, her brother Jack, and her best friend Lily and Jack's friend Allen, all gone leaving her alone to die in the dark. She glanced at the mirror and she could barley make out her reflection.

Her auburn hair was frazzled and unkempt, her blue sweater was covered in dark stains.

Sarah frowned and shoved the note and pencil back into her pockets and got up slowly, she looked around, and everything was clear and quiet.

A little too quiet for Sarah's liking, but suddenly something heavy landed on her back and latched itself to her, wrapping its arms and legs around her arms, pinning them to her sides and it began screaming a high, earsplitting scream. A screamer she thought, she then cursed loudly and began running into the darkness.

Sarah tried to throw it off her back but its grip was too strong. She was so exhausted, she wanted to just give up but she forced herself to keep running, she couldn't afford to give up.

Sarah kept running, breathing heavily but the sounds of her pursuers reached her ear again, frantically she looked around for a way out but saw nothing. Sarah stopped for a moment to catch her breath but suddenly everything was silent. Sarah sighed in relief, believing she has out of the woods but something felt wrong.

The darkness and silence made her tense and she realized that something was wrong.

It was way to quiet, there was no sound from her pursuers, it was like they had stopped moving but they hardly ever stop for anything.

Even the screamer attached to her back was unusually silent which made her tense up even more; the screamers never went silent for anything, except only when he is near.

"Oh God" she whimpered, if he catches her she will be killed, or worse. She tried to move but she couldn't, she tried again but she lost her balance and fell to the ground, she squinted and saw that her legs were tied together with rope. Sarah tried to get up but she saw hundreds of small shapes move in the dark, they all piled onto her pinning her down, she fought to get up but with each second more and more small shapes jumped onto her holding her down, soon she most of her body was buried under a mountain of small shapes.

Sarah swore and kept struggling to get free but she was stuck.

Sarah listened and heard the creaking and squeaking and a soft voice reciting an old nursery rhyme, which caused Sarah to shiver.

The squeaks and creaks had stopped but she heard soft footfalls and she saw him standing over her with a big grin on his face

"Caught you" he said in a singsong voice Sarah pursed her lips together "that was fun, another game, another game!" he cried.

But Sarah stayed quiet as she glared at him, his grin faded slowly from his face and his face melted into a frown "What is it?" he asked innocently he knelt closer to her face and asked "Is there something in my teeth?" he rubbed his teeth on his sleeve, trying to clean his teeth but she kept glaring at him.

It finally dawned on him why she was glaring at him and he pouted, "Is that why you are mad? All those guys played my games but they just weren't good enough so they got the prize for those who loose, well I wouldn't be mad those losers were just no match for me"

"Those losers were my friends! And I had enough of you're stupid games" Sarah snarled.

He frowned looking hurt "My games are not stupid" but he stood up and grinned broadly which Sarah's heart skip a beat, when he smiles something horrible happens.

He tilted his head a little "Well since you feel that way I guess I could abide by you're wishes" Sarah's eyes widened, this sounded too good to be true she thought.

His face looked friendly but his voice added venom in every word that came from his mouth "I'll abide by you're wishes but I'll give you a little consolation prize for all you're troubles". Sarah's heart dropped into her gut and she squeaked, "N-no please don't!".

But he just held up a hand and continued cheerfully "I know that you've just lost but I feel that you shouldn't go home empty handed" he pointed a finger at her forehead, there was a soft humming sound but the sound grew louder and louder, a small sphere of azure light appeared on his finger tip, the small sphere grew with the sound till it was the size of a baseball.

Tears streamed down Sarah's face "Please don't do this!" she sobbed but he ignored her cries, he lowered his finger towards her forehead till the sphere of light touched her forehead.

Once the orb of light made contact with her flesh, it began to sink into her head. Sarah's cries stopped for a brief moment, her blue eyes went wide as dinner plates. Suddenly she began to thrash around violently, screaming in agony and her body started glowing a faint blue color.

Loud creaking sounds emanated from her, the creaking continued for a few moments then the sounds stopped abruptly and Sarah stopped thrashing. He crouched down and inspected her pale and still face.

Her face was very pale and was drenched in sweat, her eyes were still wide open but a large crazed looking smile was on her face "how do you feel?"

"Great" she replied in a lofty tone he grinned "good but I'm afraid that its time to go home now".

Sarah frowned and whined "Noooo! I don't want to go!" He frowned and poked her on her forehead "Sorry no can do, you've played and lost better luck next time" Her frowned deepened and he placed a hand on her head gently, her body glowed blue faintly then she vanished.

He sighed "Nice girl" he got up and inspected his surroundings.

His realm was silent as a grave, it always filled his heart with loneliness and boredom, and He has always tried to fill the void with some form of entertainment but the joy was fleeting. "I need new playthings!" he declared to his subjects but they just remained silent and gave him blank looks but he continued on anyway, not waiting for any form of answer or questions from his friends "But not just any playthings no more of those fragile little humans, I want one of those meta humans from the news" he started rubbing his hands in excitement.

This time he wanted to play with new toys; he wants more toys, better toys! Better then those boring old humans then he was struck by an idea "I know! To make things interesting I'll invite my old friend! I'm sure he'll enjoy playing with me again" he hopped around on one foot trying to contain his happiness.

He then realized something then he clapped his hands together exclaiming, "So much to do, so little time" he began ascending from the ground slowly, he soared upward into the darkness then he zoomed off in one direction followed by his companions.

End of chapter 1

**(a/n: there ya go. i hope you enjoyed it. Ok announcement, i did some thinking and i have decided to do both the Cthulhu and Supernatural crossovers, starting with Supernatural and the other one will follow but they will take place in different parts and they wont be connected. Also if you want to know the stories i have coming up soon, go to my profile. anyway i hoped you enjoyed, review and goodbye)**


	2. Ch 2 The Nightmare Begins

**(a/n: i hope you enjoy this. sorry if this chapter dose not make any sense but whatever. enjoy)**

The Nightmare Game Ch 2

The sky was ink black over Happy Harbor, light from the small city glittered like stars near the harbor.

The Young Justice team was on break. They were in town dressed in ordinary clothes and were standing in a very long line at a popular pizzeria waiting to get to the counter.

Kid Flash and Artemis were sitting at a table outside the small shop, waiting for the others to get their pizza. Kid Flash was tapping the table rapidly mumbling "Come on! Hurry Up!"

Artemis scowled and hissed "Calm down, we've only been here for five minutes". After a week of missions, they finally got a reprieve, so they decided to spend their weekend getting pizza and spending some time at Mt. Justice. The two sat in silence for a few moments till they saw Miss Martian, Aqualad and Superboy bringing a few boxes of pizza over to their table. They all sat down and opened a box and started devouring the contents.

A few minutes after they began their meal Robin's communicator beeped, he pressed the answer button and saw that on the screen was Batman "What is it?" asked Robin "Is something wrong or do we have a mission?"

Batman just shook his head "Nope, nothing that the league can handle at the moment, I'm just calling to put you on the alert"

"Alert?" said Aqualad. Batman was quiet for a second and said, "Lately there have been a rash of strange phenomena happening in random places, I just want you to be prepared" "Prepared for what?" asked Kid Flash.

Suddenly there was a loud crackling sound, the group looked around to see where the sound was coming from, in the street in front of the shop blue bolts of energy flared in many directions zapping tables, lamp posts and cars.

Then a blue sphere of light appeared then faded and standing in a small crater where the sphere was, was a red haired girl in a blue sweater. Everyone at the restaurant just stared at the girl who just appeared out of nowhere. She just smiled and had a dazed look in her eyes "That was fun!" she stumbled out of the crater mumbling.

"Be prepared for that, I think" said Artemis, the group got up from their table and approached the girl who was just looking up at the sky laughing "Hey" greeted Robin "Are you ok?"

the girl just laughed, staring at the sky "I feel amazing!" she cried "I feel like I'm on top of the world!" she laughed and danced around a nearby light post singing a song "Tick-Tock goes the clock and all the years they fly, Tick-Tock and all too soon you're love will surely die!"

Miss Martian's eyes narrowed, Kid Flash looked at her "what's wrong?"

"Nothing" she said quietly "Its just that song sounds so familiar, I cant place it".

The girl kept laughing and she started climbing on tables babbling about something "What should we do?" asked Superboy "This girl seems like she's crazy" "I say we watch out for her until Batman gets here" said Robin "I already told him what happened, he said he's on his way" "Uh guys" said Artemis, she pointed at the girl.

The girl jumped off a table and started running away "I got her" said Miss Martian who ran after the girl.

The girl ran quickly down the street cackling, "you can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man!" "Slow down!" called Miss Martian, the girl darted through a busy street, narrowly avoiding cars, and she rounded a corner and kept going.

Miss Martian quickly followed her and she saw that the girl was sticking her tongue at her until she ran into somebody. The two fell over, the stranger was a man in a tweed jacket, a bow tie and had floppy hair "Oh sorry about that" said the man he helped the girl up who was still singing the song "Tick-Tock goes the clock, and what now shall we play? Tick-Tock goes the clock now summer's gone away" the man stiffened "Who are you?"

Miss Martian finally caught up to them "Sorry about that" and she explained what happened to the girl, the man frowned.

After her explanation he pulled out a pen like device that had a green crystal on the tip, he scanned the red haired girl who was just mumbling something "Hm, appearing out of nowhere, the song" he studied his device and muttered "and a high concentration of Huon particles, just like the others" he kept muttering things then he exclaimed "Oh sorry, I forgot to introduce my self I'm The Doctor"

"Doctor who?" asked Miss Martian "Just the Doctor" said the man "now if you'll excuse me" he turned and walked away muttering something.

Miss Martian mumbled "That was weird" she grabbed the girl by the arm and led her back towards the pizzeria.

The group took the girl back to Mount Justice and after a few minutes Batman arrived with Martian Manhunter "Where is she?" asked Batman. Robin led the two to the lounge where the girl was just scribbling on papers with a crayon "Another one" he muttered

"What do you mean?" asked Aqualad.

Everyone gathered around Batman who explained, "for the past month, people have been going missing from various countries around the planet, they disappear for days, weeks even till they show up in a flash of energy, crazed and confused" He pulled out a photo from his belt and everyone saw it was the red haired girl but she looked healthy and sane, while the real her seems thinner and extremely pale "This is Sarah Foster, she and a few friends disappeared a few days ago from a small town in England, without a trace like a dozen others".

Batman looked at the girl who was chewing on couch cushions "None of the victims were seen for days till they miraculously reappear but in another part of the world, most of them were driven to insanity, some just arrived dead"

"Has anyone arrived not crazy or dead?" asked Robin

Batman nodded "Only one but he was in critical condition, in his last moments he screamed something about the one who kidnapped him"

"What did he say?" asked Kid Flash.

Batman was quiet then said bluntly "Don't let him get me and don't let him get you".

Everyone went quiet "Oh man" muttered Aqualad finally breaking the silence "What kind of sicko dose this" said Superboy Batman just shook his head "We don't know, we've been trying to find this kidnapper but so far nothing and the only thing connecting the victims is that they have all been singing the same song over and over"

"Tick-Tock goes the clock and all the years they fly" sang Sarah, everyone looked at her, she was standing in the middle of the room staring at them with a glassy look in her eye "Tick-Tock and all too soon, you and I must die".

Sarah just blinked and sat back down on the couch snickering "That was creepy" said Artemis shivering.

Miss Martian looked to her uncle "Is it me or dose that song sound familiar?" Martian Manhunter nodded "I heard that song when I was but a young child but it can't be…"

"What is it?" asked Batman. Martian Manhunter shook his head "It was so long ago, I cant be certain of anything"

Suddenly Sarah started giggling softly then it rose to a loud cackling "I have played the games, I have danced and died in the darkness, I saw death and life flow like sands in an hourglass, He is bored, he is so very bored" She jumped up and stood on the couch shouting at the ceiling "He is very bored, he will never be satisfied, the world is not enough" she laughed and pointed at the heroes "He wants you all, he wants you to dance and play for him, dance and die like I have".

Batman stared at the girl "Who wants us?" the girl put her finger to her lips making a hushing sound "No spoilers, he wants you to be surprised" she laughed and dropped down from the couch and she got on her knees laughing "I will be immortal!" suddenly her body started glowing blue, then she glowed brighter and brighter, causing them all to avert their eyes and when the light faded laying in her place was a porcelain doll in a frilly lace dress and it had ratty looking red hair.

Everyone looked at the doll in shock; Batman studied it muttering sadly, "Just like the others"

"Just what are we dealing with?" asked Robin Batman just frowned shaking his head "I don't know".

End of chapter

**(a/n: i hoped you enjoyed that. Review! till next time, bye)**


	3. Ch 3 An Unexpected Guest

**(a/n: here you go a new chapter. Enjoy!)**

The Nightmare Game ch 3

Batman had begun analyzing the doll with the base computers.

Earlier Batman had asked Red Tornado to bring all the other victims that were turned into dolls. One by one he studied them all but after a few hours of studies he just stared at the dolls intently grumbling.

He walked into the lounge where everyone had gathered. He said reluctantly "Nothing, I can't find anything out of the normal, all the scans say the same. They're porcelain dolls, nothing more, nothing less".

Batman frowned "Whatever we are dealing with is beyond anything or anyone on Earth" "What do you think it is?" asked Kid Flash

Batman sighed "I'm not sure, the test results from the dolls don't show anything, whoever we're dealing with is not an average criminal or super villain. For know I want you all to be safe, you will be staying here for the night while Martian Manhunter and myself investigate some possible leads".

Something made Miss Martian think about that doctor she ran into on the street, something he said and the way he acted like what happened is normal.

Maybe he knows something she thought.

A few hours later Batman left with Martian Manhunter to continue investigating the disappearances, Red Tornado stayed behind to watch over the team as they stayed the night in the base. The base was silent, Miss Martian tried to sleep but she was wide-awake.

In the lounge she was in a sleeping bag on the ground, Kid Flash and Artemis took opposite ends of the couch; Aqualad and Superboy were on the ground beside her.

The scene of Sarah turning into a doll made her shudder. Miss Martian stared up at the stone ceiling with Sarah's words echoing in her head "_He is bored, he is so very bored. The world is not enough!" _ Who is bored and what will he do to the entire world? Miss Martian snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a strange noise coming from down the hall.

The sound was a wheezing sound, like metal scraping against metal.

It grew louder and louder till it just stopped. Miss Martian crawled out of her sleeping bag and tip toed out of the room to where she heard the sound.

There was a soft voice further down the hall, it grew a little louder, Miss Martian turned invisible and waited.

There were footsteps and one of the doors in the hall opened and out stepped the Doctor, holding his pen like device aloft like a torch, the green crystal giving a soft emerald light in the dark

"Ok this is the place for sure, I swear, I never get secret mountain facilities right, first Cheyenne Mountain, then the White Castle Armory then the Seven System Army fortress and I don't even want to remember the Hall of the Falcon King" he muttered shaking his head "Honestly, why do they insist on having so much pudding cups lying around i'll never know".

He turned and started walking down the hall, away from Miss Martian and she followed closely behind.

The Doctor turned a few corners and he disappeared behind a door Miss Martian followed him but she saw that she was standing in a closet, the door slammed shut "Aha!" exclaimed the Doctor, there was a whirring sound and Miss Martian was visible again "What the?" said Miss Martian but she stopped when she saw the Doctor standing their with a stern look on his face "Who are you?" he asked.

Miss Martian stuttered "Miss Martian, but my friends call me Megan, we met earlier today, remember?" The Doctor frowned then his eyebrows raised, he slapped himself on the head "Oh of course, you're a shape-shifter aren't you?" She nodded "Well I never was really good with faces, but anyway why are you following me?"

"You seem to know something about the recent disappearance's, I just wanted to see what you knew" The Doctor nodded "Understandable" he opened the closet door and he strode out "Come along, Megan" he continued onwards with Miss Martian close behind.

The two reached the lab that had a large table that had a row of fourteen porcelain dolls. Each one was dressed in various outfits; the ones that were women were dressed in various Victorian dresses, while the men wore suites or military uniforms

"Oh beautiful" the Doctor muttered.

He closely inspected the dolls holding the light closely to each one "The craftsmanship and details, whoever did this to them, they really put some effort into these forms" he aimed his device at them, it whirred and he studied it closely.

Miss Martian asked, "How did you get in here? The base security can keep almost anything out"

"Tardis" said the Doctor.

Miss Martian just gave him a confused look "What?"

"Tardis, its my ship" the Doctor sat down on a stool next to the table "I've been traveling for sometime now, just knocking about, when I heard about the kidnappings I first thought the Justice League could handle it, since they've been protecting this planet from many threats, thus giving me a well deserved break but I soon realized that they are out of their depth, they're just so blind to some of the most obvious threats sometimes"

he shook his head, he picked up a red haired doll and he stared at it muttering "Humans, I never get done saving you".

The Doctor placed the doll next to the others carefully then he turned to Miss Martian "So what about you, a Martian, haven't seen one of you for decades"

"Oh well" said Miss Martian hesitantly "I came to live with my Uncle after Mars was attacked and civilization was whipped out". After a few moments of silence The Doctor frowned "I'm sorry" he picked up another doll, a man dressed in colonial era American military uniform, he began studying it closely with a magnifying glass he fished out of his pocket.

Miss Martian pulled up a stool next to the Doctor and asked "So you know a lot about aliens"

"Yep" "How do you know so much about aliens?" the Doctor just picked up another doll and studied it "Like I've been saying, I've been traveling, I've been around the block a few times, then they knocked those blocks down and put up new ones and I've been around those ones for a while too and I can tell some things that would turn you're hair white" Miss Martian just stared at him "Are you an alien?"

the Doctor nodded "Yep" she eyed him curiously "But you look human"

"Hey" he said indignantly "They look like us, we came first" "Who?" "Gallifreyans".

Miss Martians jaw dropped "Gallifreyans! They're myths, they're just fairy tales that my Uncle told me once, they don't exist" the Doctor shook his head "nope, well technically I'm the only one left, so you're only half right".

Miss Martian just stared at him in awe, she only heard stories of the Time Lords of Gallifrey, of all the things they do, but now she's couldn't believe that she is sitting next to one.

Suddenly the alarms started blaring and the lights flared on "That must be you're friends" said The Doctor casually "I sort of disabled the cameras, you're friends might have noticed that too" suddenly their was a loud pounding, the metal door started denting and then the door was knocked off its hinges, standing there was Superboy, Red Tornado and the rest of the team "Megan are you…" he began but he stopped when he saw that the Doctor and her were sitting at the table studying the dolls "Oh Hello" greeted the Doctor he waved at the group of stunned superheroes

"I heard that you had an interesting collection of dolls and I decided to stop by and have a look for myself" said the Doctor.

Red Tornado stepped forward and asked, "Just who are you?" the Doctor got up and walked over, he studied Red Tornado with interest "an android!" he grinned "Oh this is fantastic" he shook Red Tornado's hand "I'm the Doctor"

"Doctor Who?" asked Red Tornado "just the Doctor, if its not to much trouble to remember" he let go of Red Tornado's hand and walked back over to the table "So what dose the Justice League know so far?"

Red Tornado was silent at first then he explained "The victims all disappeared from different parts of the planet, at various times then they reappear crazed, singing the same song and all turned into dolls".

The Doctor nodded "Ok and what else, what have they been saying?" "Generally they all have said the same thing" said Red Tornado "They have been saying that he is bored, he is so very bored"

the Doctor frowned and he scratched his chin "Someone is bored, of course I'm bored too but I don't resort to kidnapping and turning people into dolls". The Doctor stared at the dolls silently for a moment then a smile appeared on his face "of course"

"What?" asked Miss Martian "Of course, its so obvious anyone could have noticed" "What?" repeated Miss Martian "The dolls" said the Doctor, sounding giddy "The victims, they're invitations". Red Tornado cocked his head "Invitations?"

"Yes invitations, who ever kidnapped these people, has let them all return here to seek out new opponents for the kidnapper"

"You mean some guy has turned people into dolls in order to entertain himself?" asked Superboy the Doctor nodded "Yep". Superboy shook his head "this is just sick" "Well to most highly evolved beings, you're all just disposable playthings", said the Doctor.

Red Tornado stared at the dolls "How do they work?" the Doctor turned and he pointed at the dolls "Those dolls, they are all charged Huon particles, undetectable by you're technology, which might say the dolls are clean but they are very active with powerful particles, two dolls attach themselves to a new contestant and teleport them to their source meaning, to the kidnappers location to participate in his games" he counted the dolls on the table "There fourteen in total so about seven people could have been taken"

"So what's the plan?" asked Miss Martian the Doctor glanced around at the heroes " we lock them up till we can fully understand them, these dolls are very unstable they could activate at any moment" suddenly two dolls sat up from the table and jumped onto the Doctor and he vanished in a flash of blue light.

Everyone stood there shocked "Doctor!" cried Miss Martian suddenly two dolls latched to her arm and she vanished "Megan!" yelled Superboy then he vanished too.

One by one the young heroes began disappearing. Red Tornado jumped in front of two dolls who were soaring over to Kid flash, the two dolls latched onto Red Tornado but one of them stuck its tongue at him "What the-?" said Kid Flash, the two dolls crawled over Red Tornado's shoulders and they jumped and latched themselves onto Kid Flash, they vanished leaving Red Tornado alone to wonder what will become of the young heroes and The Doctor.

End of chapter

**(a/n: well that was fun, but the real fun begins next chapter. till then review!)**


	4. Ch 4 The Game is On!

**(a/n: here you go. sorry if this is short.)**

The Nightmare Game ch 4

The first thing Miss Martian saw when she regained conscience was a golden colored sky with thick clouds draped across the sky.

As her eyes focused on what she saw, she realized that it was not the sky; it was just a very detailed painting of the sky. Miss Martian sat up groaning; she saw that she was in the middle of a very spacious, victorian style room that was furnished with at least a dozen tables all set, covered in white table clothes, plates, forks, cups and knives all ready for guests.

Hanging from the ceiling was a glittering crystal chandelier, Miss Martian spotted a pair of large oak doors on the far side of the room, she pushed herself up off the ground Miss Martian looked around "Doctor?" she called "Doctor"

"Ah I see that you're awake" said a familiar voice.

She turned her head and saw the Doctor sitting at one of the tables with a fork in hand; he chewed a mouthful of food. He pointed to the seat opposite of him "Sit, eat, you're going to need it" she walked over to the table and she sank into the seat opposite of the Doctor.

On the table were plates of scrambled egg, ham, bacon, sausage and other assorted food "Is it safe to eat?" she asked

the Doctor nodded "Oh yeah, there was a note saying eat up I assume that the games are going to be starting soon" Miss Martian glanced around the room, there were a few arm chairs placed up against a some of the walls, there were tall windows beside their table that have thick red curtains drawn aside, letting in a pale morning light

"Don't try going out those windows" said the Doctor through a mouthful of toast "There's nothing out there, literally, I guess that we are in a different dimension" Miss Martian glanced back at the Doctor "Another dimension?"

The Doctor nodded "Yep, far away, probably further then anyone has gone before, I guess that we are in one of the seven lost dimensions known as 'The Lost Shores', no person has ever set foot in these dimensions in three hundred thousand years" the Doctor shook his head "well aside from the occasional visitors, people who stray into the Bermuda Triangle for example or a random temporal vortex".

Miss Martian nodded, there was some more groaning and mumbling, she turned and saw her friends getting to their feet uneasily "Ah good!" said the Doctor "About time you lot woke up"

"Food" moaned Kid Flash when he saw the food on the table, the Doctor gestured to the table. He got up as Kid Flash rushed over and began eating "Eat up" said the Doctor "We're going to need it for what's ahead"

"What's ahead?" asked Aqualad who took a seat besides Kid Flash.

The Doctor strolled over to one of the windows explaining, "We are currently in a lost dimension, far from any help and the only way to leave is to play in our kidnapper's games" Everyone just stared at the Doctor in surprise, he studied their reactions "If you don't believe me just look out the window"

Superboy walked over to the window and he stared outside, he saw nothing but white, endless white void.

"He's right" said Superboy in a hollow voice "There's nothing out there"

"Well technically that's not true but in this part of this dimension I suspect so" said the Doctor.

After a few minutes of eating Superboy grunted in frustration "Just where is this guy, I just want to beat his face in" "All in good time my friend!" said a new voice.

Everyone turned and saw standing in front of the oak doors was a man in a blue suit, silver tie and had grey hair.

The new comer raised a gloved hand and waved "Hello, hello everyone! Its so good to see you all" he strode over to the group and shook everyone's hands vigorously, once he got to the Doctor he grinned, "Oh hello again Doctor, he has been expecting you!"

"Who is expecting me?" asked the Doctor but the man only chuckled "In due time, in due time".

The man sighed "it's good to see some new faces again, we've been so lonely for sometime" he shook his head muttering "The last group was not very fun" he clapped his hands together "Now then on to business!". The man bowed low "I am Locutus, speaker for his greatness" he straightened up "Welcome to the Dimension of Nix, one of the seven lost dimensions of the Lost Shores"

"Knew it" muttered the Doctor.

Locutus looked around at the group "You are all here to participate in a series of games, games that will test you're mental fortitudes, you're strengths, and you're morality" he pointed towards the tall oak doors "Through those doors you will face very real threats, some terrifying, some deadly, you must advance through all nine levels to reach the final challenge".

Kid Flash raised his hand "Uh what's the final challenge?" Locutus just wagged a finger "Nope, I won't spoil the surprise for you" he fished around in his pockets and pulled out a gold pocket watch "The games start in just a minute".

Once he finished speaking the doors creaked open behind him, Locutus stepped aside revealing a long hall that had grey stonewalls "Once you are ready, walk through those doors" said Locutus cheerfully "Good luck!" Locutus vanished in a puff of purple smoke.

The Doctor walked over and stood in front of the entrance of the first challenge, he scanned it with his handheld device humming to himself.

Aqualad and Superboy walked over studying what lay ahead as well, "What do you think Doctor?" asked Aqualad

"I say we just find that Locutus guy and force him to take us to his boss, then we make him pay" said Superboy.

Aqualad glared at Superboy but the Doctor nodded thoughtfully "Good idea but one fatal problem in that plan"

"What's that?" asked Superboy "Who ever is in charge around here is incredibly powerful, beyond anything you have ever faced before" said the Doctor "He has turned a lost dimension into his home, he kidnaps people and forces them to play his games, he could probably turn you're insides to custard, turn you're friends bodies inside out and if I were to estimate how long you would last against him without my help, I would estimate about four seconds"

Superboy just looked surprised and mumbled "Uh as Aqualad was saying, what do you think we should do?".

The Doctor grinned "good, now then" he turned to the team and said "Here is what we should do, we go ahead with these trials because they seem like the only way home" "But isn't that kind of dangerous?" asked Artemis the Doctor nodded "yes but if we play our cards right we will get home, now then is everybody ready to face this first challenge?"

Everyone nodded hesitantly the Doctor clapped "Good now then" he spun around and stared down the long dark hall way that laid before him and the team "lets press on" he stepped through the doorway, soon after everyone else began to follow him.

End of chapter

**(a/n: hoped you enjoyed it.)**


	5. Task 1: the Shadow of Fear

**(a/n: here you go enjoy. sorry if this seems lame but whatever. review!)**

Ch 5: Task 1- The Shadow of Fear

The group walked through the dark hall for what seemed like an hour till they reached another set of large oak doors

"Alright this is it" said the Doctor "The first challenge, everyone be ready" the young heroes readied themselves.

The Doctor grasped the doorknobs and pulled the doors open. A soft light spilled into the hall banishing the darkness. The Doctor's eyebrows arched and a smile spread across his face "Oh that is brilliant" he stepped across the threshold, leaving the young heroes looking flabbergasted at what laid ahead.

Ahead of them was a spacious, grassy field a few yards from the edge of a forest of tall, imposing trees. There was a clear, cloudless sky above and in the distance the sun was just breaking over a majestic mountain range.

Wally spoke first "That can't be real, can it?" his voice faltered a little.

Miss Martian felt a soft, cool breeze roll across her face. The scent of pine drifted through her nostrils "It feels and smells all too real" said Miss Martian.

Aqualad looked up at the sky, it was a deep purple-blue but it was slowly turning pink and orange by the morning sun "It looks real" added Aqualad.

The Doctor was in the clearing just a few feet away from the young heroes, he surveyed the landscape with sincere admiration

"This is just beautiful!" he breathed "the sheer detail, the effort, the amount of time that must have went into this, if I ever meet the person responsible for this, I will personally shake his or her hand…or tentacle"

he turned to the young heroes and saw them standing in the doorway.

"Come on!" he urged, "we won't be getting anywhere by just standing around with you standing there with your mouths open" Miss Martian blinked and she stepped across the threshold, then soon all the others followed.

Superboy was the last one across the threshold. Once he passed through, the doors swung closed, they all looked back and were surprised to see that standing there was only the set of doors and behind it were miles more of green landscape.

Wally went back and inspected the doors. They just stood there looking out of place. He looked behind it and saw nothing but the other side of the door and the landscape that stretched far beyond his line of sight. Wally scratched his head saying, "This is so weird"

"I know isn't it cool!" said the Doctor grinning like it was Christmas morning.

Superboy tried to open the door but there was a soft click. He grabbed the doorknobs and tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge "Locked" said Superboy

"well obviously" said a gruff voice.

Everyone glanced towards the source of the voice and they saw a grimy looking man.

He was short, wore shabby brown clothes, he had a crooked nose and yellow teeth. He had a mop of greasy hair and a thick grey beard, one eye was blue and the other was brown "the only way you can get back home is to move forward with the challenges" said the man.

The young heroes stared at the dirty looking man in surprise "Where did you come from?" said Artemis looking surprised

"I was here the whole time" said the man irritably.

The Doctor smiled "A perception filter, am I right?"

"Yeah" said the grimy man, smiling "you're the first to get it right, all the others said it was magic"

the Doctor snorted "Magic"

"indeed" agreed the man, crossing his arms.

The man ran a hand through his greasy hair, flattening it and said in a formal tone "My name is Toby and I'm here on the behalf of his greatness to give you the instructions for the first challenge".

Everyone focused on Toby as he explained "this first challenge is simple" he pointed to the forest that laid a few yards away "Just follow the path of earth and light to get to the door at the other end of the forest, before nightfall" he turned to the group then said in a dark tone "but beware, this isn't some Sunday stroll through the forest, it is fraught with a very serious danger. Whatever you do, stay out of the shadows and keep to the path"

"Why?" asked Superboy "Because you'll die, you idiot" snapped Toby.

He shook his head "I swear kids these days"

"Anything else?" asked the Doctor.

Toby frowned but then he nodded "Oh yes, you must stay together, if you stray away from the path for too long and loose yourselves in the forest, you stay trapped here for all eternity thus losing the game. Got it?" everyone nodded.

Toby clapped his hands together "Good, now if you excuse me I've got to go, my breakfast is waiting for me" he then vanished in a flash of light, leaving the group alone in the grassy field.

The Doctor looked up at the early morning sky, the color was slowly turning into a light pink and the orange sun was slowly climbing higher into the sky "Well we better get going" said the Doctor, he turned on his heels and began walking towards the forest.

The young heroes followed after him.

As they got closer to the tree line, trees seemed to grow taller and taller.

They passed by through the tree line, weaving through the trees till the Doctor stopped abruptly "What is it Doctor?" asked Miss Martian

The Doctor pointed straight ahead. A few yards ahead was a floating orb of blue fiery light and a few yards ahead of it was another orb followed by a succession of blue orbs that led deeper into the woods.

The Doctor looked down and saw beneath the orbs of light was a dirt path that leads on through the woods, with the line of orbs hovered above it.

He glanced back at the young heroes "I guess this is the start of the path of light and earth" he walked over to the orb of light and studied it briefly.

He glanced towards the second one "That way" he pointed towards the east, further into the woods.

* * *

><p>The group continued on deeper into the forest following the dirt path and the trail of light orbs.<p>

After a few hours the sky became deep blue and the sun was high in the sky. As they went deeper into the forest, the trees started to grow closer together and taller. The branches started to become tangled together, forming a canopy over the forest blocking out some sunlight.

After another hour of walking The Doctor turned to the young heroes "We'll stop here for a little break" none of them complained.

The group walked a few feet away from the path and gathered at the base of a towering tree that was about a yard away from a trickling stream.

The thick canopy of leaves provided a cool shade for the group.

Superboy saw the Doctor standing on the dirt path, looking deeper into the forest.

"Doctor" said Superboy, the Doctor glanced at Superboy "How much further do you think we need to go till we reach the doors" the Doctor frowned "I would say an hour if we walk, if we hurry we'll make it in a fraction of the time"

Miss Martian noticed a worried look on the Doctor's face "Is there something wrong Doctor?"

The Doctor nodded "Yes, something is very wrong here" he gestured to their surroundings "We have been in this forest for about a few hours now and we haven't encountered a single threat, not that I'm complaining but this forest is so peaceful"

"Toby said that we should avoid the shadows and keep to the path" said Aqualad

"Yes but something else is very wrong here, don't you see it?" said The Doctor, sounding tense.

The young heroes looked at each other in confusion "What are you worried about?" asked Kid Flash "This task is a breeze there's nothing wrong"

"Don't be so sure, just listen" whispered the Doctor, he put a finger to his lips and shushed them. For a moment the group sat in complete silence, with only a faint sound of the stream drifting around the silent air when Kid Flash said "I don't hear anything"

"That's it" said the Doctor

"How is that bad?" asked Superboy

"Well in a forest this dense, you would think you would hear some wild life, like birds" said the Doctor "but I don't hear any birds or see any other signs of animal life" a chill ran through all the heroes

"What are you saying?" asked Aqualad

"I'm saying that whatever danger is hiding in this forest, has devoured every animal in this forest" said the Doctor in a dark tone "And we're next on the menu".

Suddenly there was a high pitch scream that tore through the silent forest.

The group turned towards the path and heard that it was coming from deeper into the forest "Someone's in trouble" said the Doctor, then the young heroes took off running down the path, in the direction of the scream.

The path lead them down a steep hill but they heard the scream again but this time it was coming from the south. The group took off running again towards the south with the Doctor hot on their heels

"Wait, we should get back on the path" said the Doctor,

"Someone is in trouble" said Miss Martian "We got to help them".

The Doctor went silent and just followed along.

* * *

><p>The small group came to a stop and they hid behind some trees. Aqualad peaked out from behind his hiding place "Its clear" the group abandoned their hiding places and approached the source of the scream.<p>

In the center of a ring of trees was a large metal cage and in it was a pale girl with jet-black hair and violet eyes.

Superboy tore open the cage and helped the girl out "Are you ok?" asked Aqualad,

the girl nodded "Yes, thank you, I feared that no one would hear me before they returned"

"Before who returned?" asked the Doctor.

The girl trembled a little "The darkness"

Kid Flash frowned "You're afraid of the dark?"

"No" said the girl, shaking her head "This darkness is different, it moves, it devours all flesh and it lives"

"Oh no" murmured the Doctor, looking around anxiously "That would explain the lack of wild life".

Everyone looked to the Doctor "What is it?" asked Aqualad

"I know what the danger is" said the Doctor, he glanced back to the young heroes "We better hurry back to the path, or else we'll be lost forever" he turned and took off running with the others following closely behind.

* * *

><p>The group sped through the forest.<p>

It took them a half hour to find the path again, the sunlight that pierced the thick canopy of tree branches was slowly fading and the forest was growing dark. Once they had found the path again, they continued their journey. Only this time they were jogging along the trail of light orbs towards the doorway.

Superboy spoke up "Doctor, what are we running from exactly?"

"One of the most dangerous creatures in the universe" said the Doctor, he jogged along side Superboy "The Vashta Nerada. The piranha's of the air. Translated to English, their name literally means '_the shadows that melt the flesh' _nasty little things they are"

"What exactly are they?" asked Aqualad.

The Doctor frowned "They are microscopic beings that live in a swarm of thousands, individually they are harmless but in a swarm they are a living darkness that can strip the flesh off of someone's bones in milliseconds"

Everyone's eyes widened "Do they have a weakness?" asked Robin

the Doctor shook his head "Nope, the only thing you can do is run and stay in the light".

The group continued down the path at top speeds, Artemis glanced over her shoulder "Is it me or is it getting dark?" the Doctor glanced at his watch "Can't be getting dark yet, sunset's not for another few hours"

"Well its getting pretty dark right now" she said jabbing a thumb over her shoulder.

The Doctor and his companions glanced back and saw that the forest behind them was considerably darker and was getting even darker still. He leveled his pen like device at the darkness "What is that, a weapon?" asked Robin

"Don't be ridiculous, its a screwdriver" said the Doctor.

He activated the device and he kept it aimed at the darkness for a moment then he glanced at it "well?" asked Superboy "What did you do?"

"I analyzed the shadows to be sure if it is the Vashta Nerada" said the Doctor

"And?" asked Miss Martian

"Oh yeah, there are definitely Vashta Nerada after us" said the Doctor, he shoved his screwdriver back into his pocket.

The further the group ran, the closer the shadows seemed to be. The shadows crawled towards them, the forest around them grew darker and darker.

The Doctor laughed a joyous laugh, Robin looked at him like he was insane "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing, its just that I haven't had this much fun in years!" said the Doctor.

Superboy squinted and saw up ahead of them "I see the way out!" the Doctor looked and saw the other end of the forest, slowly growing close "I see it too!"

The group burst through the tree line and made a mad dash for the doors.

Kid Flash was the first, he flung the doors open and everyone rushed inside.

The Vashta Nerada closed in on the door, the Doctor grabbed the doors and slammed them shut. The doors rattled for a moment but all was silent.

* * *

><p>The Doctor sighed, "That's the end of that" he glanced around "is everyone alright?" everyone nodded.<p>

The violet eyed girl spoke softly "Thank you, if you hadn't saved me, I would've been devoured by the darkness for sure"

"No problem" said Kid Flash "Its what we do".

The Doctor rose to his feet and glanced around their surroundings, it was dark and he couldn't make out much.

Suddenly bright lights came on, blinding everyone for a moment. The lights dimmed a little and a cheerful voice cried "Congratulations! You have completed the first task" everyone looked and saw standing there was Locutus.

The Doctor noticed that they were in a spacious with a long table with large platters of food and goblets of various liquids

"Eat, drink, you must be famished" said Locutus, gesturing to the table.

The Doctor walked over to the table and smiled "Haven't had these in ages" grabbed a handful of candy and he tossed a few into his mouth.

He looked over to Robin and extended a palm full of candy to him "Would you like a Jelly Baby?" "No thanks" said Robin, the Doctor shrugged.

Soon everyone else started eating from the table "This is excellent, you have passed the first round with flying colors!" said Locutus, grinning from ear to ear "I must say, you are doing well"

"So when do we meet our gracious host?" asked the Doctor

"Soon, very soon" said Locutus.

He bowed "I must go, his greatness needs me" he turned and walked to another set of doors on the other side of the room "Eat, drink and rest when you can, the next challenge starts when I return" he opened the doors and vanished behind them.

Superboy dashed over to the doors and opened them just a second after Locutus vanished behind them but he found only a solid brick wall there.

He rubbed the wall murmuring "Solid" he glanced over to the Doctor "What do we do?"

"Nothing" said The Doctor, he tossed a few more Jelly Babies into his mouth "we wait, rest up and continue on with the challenges. It's the only thing we can do at the moment". Kid Flash sank into an arm chair by the door with an arm full of food "Thats fine, just as long as i get some food".

* * *

><p>Locutus appeared in a vast, dark room that seemed to stretch on forever.<p>

The floor was solid glossy, obsidian and in the center of the darkness was a gilded throne. He straightened his tie and approached the throne, his shoes clacked against the floor.

Floating above the throne was the only source of light in the vast darkness. Nine crystal orbs that had various colors swirling around inside them.

Each orb was about the size of a basketball, they all gave off different colored lights. One floated just a few inches above the throne.

Inside the crystal was the model of a vast green forest with high mountains in the background.

Locutus bowed low "Your greatness, they have passed the first task"

"I know" said his master, gleefully "This truly better then last time" "Indeed sir" said Locutus.

His master glanced up at the orbs as they floated around the dark like stars in the night "Lets hope they can last against this next challenge" he glanced back at Locutus "It would be a shame if they die this early in the games"

"Indeed" said Locutus in agreement "Indeed" said his master. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the small figurine of a girl with black hair "Lets she how my little doll will fare"

"But should we give them a little help?" asked Locutus

His master nodded "Yes, i suppose. i'll send the Doctor an old friend to help" he smiled "I know just the person to send"

"Who?" asked Locutus, his eyebrows rose. His master only smiled and hummed a little tune thinking to himself of all the future puzzles and challenges that lay ahead.

He sincerely hoped the Doctor would win the next one because he would be sorely disappointed if the Time Lord died on the second challenge. He had so much in store for the Time Lord. He had years to plan the games out, for all of the pain the Doctor had caused him he was sure that the Doctor will fail.

Locutus saw his master smirk and let out a mirthless cackle. For the first time in his life, Locutus felt fear.

End of Chapter

* * *

><p><strong>(an: well what do you think? well review and all that)**


	6. Task 2: Sink or Swim

**(a/n: well, here you go. enjoy and review! Also parts of this chapter references Stargate Atlantis.)**

* * *

><p><span>Ch.6: Task 2- Sink or Swim<span>

The group sat in the small room waiting for the return of Locutus.

They had managed to pass the first task by evading the Vashta Nerada and reaching the doors at the other side of a forest.

Most of the team were eating the food that was prepared for them except for Superboy.

He just stared at the Doctor suspiciously.

The Doctor noticed the look Superboy was giving him "Is something wrong?" asked the Doctor.

Superboy scowled "yes, how did you know what was coming after us? In fact, how did you get into Mount Justice?"

The Doctor sat back in his chair with a goblet filled with a fruity drink "I know the Vashta Nerada, I've encountered them a few times before. They're spread out all across the universe, living in forests. They even live on Earth"

Everyone looked at the Doctor astonished. Kid Flash almost spat out his food "Wait a second, you mean those shadowy things live on Earth?"

"For how long?" asked Miss Martian

"For a very long time" said the Doctor, taking a sip of his drink "They existed since the Dark Ages of the universe, before your races were even born"

"Dark Ages?" asked Aqualad, looking perplexed.

The Doctor sighed, "Those were truly chaotic times, it was a time when the Great Vampires and the Nestene flourished. A time where the Carrionites thrived and the Racnoss ruled before their fall at the hands of the Fledgling Empires" The Doctor had a grim expression on his face "Those were the days where true wonders and horrors were born"

The Doctor shook his head "Anyway, the Vashta Nerada are not always the ravenous swarm that you saw. The ones on Earth aren't as vicious, they feed on road kill, some animals and the occasional lost hiker"

"What!" exclaimed Robin

"It is unfortunate but that's how it works" said the Doctor.

Miss Martian asked "Can't you or anyone do anything to keep them from eating people?"

The Doctor shook his head "No, well I tried to reason with them but there's nothing much I can do about it".

Superboy coughed "you didn't answer my other question, how did you get into Mount Justice"

"my Tardis" said the Doctor, casually.

Everyone frowned "What?" said Robin, looking confused

"Its my ship" said the Doctor, casually "If I had it, we could get out of here but I'm afraid we're in a bind".

Superboy's eyes narrowed "You're not human, are you?"

the Doctor smiled "Nope"

"What are you?" asked Aqualad

"I'm a Time Lord" said the Doctor.

Aqualad frowned "A what?"

"A Time Lord" said the Doctor "of the planet Gallifrey"

"Never heard of it" said Kid Flash

"of course not" said Miss Martian as if it were the most obvious thing in the universe "Why's that?" asked Artemis.

Miss Martian explained, "It's only the oldest planet in the entire universe, home to the most advanced race in the universe. Legends say that they never interact with anyone".

The Doctor nodded "we are somewhat recluse, we keep to ourselves and hardly got involved in the affairs of other worlds"

"What about you?" asked Aqualad "Didn't you just interfere by breaking into Mount Justice?"

the Doctor nodded "Yes, well I'm not like other Time Lords, I really wasn't partial to the whole reclusive lifestyle but for a time I was like them. Over time I grew out of it. It was so boring so I packed up and left to see the universe and all that it has to offer".

He glanced to the violet eyed girl they saved in the forest "What's your name?"

"Maria" said the girl.

The Doctor smiled "Maria, nice name and where are you from?" "Olesia" answered the girl.

The Doctor nodded "Nice to meet you Maria of Olesia" he extended a friendly hand. She shook his hand and smiled a little.

* * *

><p>After a few minutes of chatting and eating the doors on the other side of the room opened and Locutus walked in.<p>

Everyone got to their feet, alert and ready for the next challenge.

Locutus clapped his hands together and rubbed them "Well I got to say you have my master's interest, he's even turned his gaze away from the other competitors and focused all his attention to you"

"Other competitors?" said The Doctor, curiously

"there are other people here as well?" asked Aqualad.

Locutus nodded "Oh yes, several unique groups and individuals from various parts of the universe are here. Some came willingly, others…well not so much".

Superboy scowled "Why are you doing this?"

Locutus shrugged "For sport, my master is bored and needs to be amused. So he gathers those he deems worthy of his skills together and pits them against various challenges".

The Doctor nodded "Sort of a Tournament of Champions, to see if there's someone strong or clever enough to beat you're master"

"Right you are" nodded Locutus.

Superboy growled "Just give me five minutes with you're master and I'll show you whose strongest"

Locutus just held up his hands "In due time, you'll have a shot at him, but now lets move on to the next task".

Locutus gestured them to follow "Come along, I'll explain on the way".

He turned, opened the doors behind him and stood aside "After you" he said politely. The Doctor stepped through the threshold first, and then the young heroes and the violet-eyed girl named Maria with Locutus following behind them.

He closed the doors behind them plunging them all into darkness. The Doctor muttered something in annoyance. There was a soft click and a small pinprick of light appeared, piercing the darkness. In the soft, white glow of the light everyone saw that the Doctor was holding a small pen sized flashlight

"Everyone ok?" he asked. Everyone nodded.

Locutus brushed past the Doctor and he went ahead of the group "Ok, follow me" he turned on his heel and marched further down the dark hall.

The small group followed after the man quietly, with only the Doctor's flashlight to light the way.

Robin glanced around the empty hall and spoke "So what's the next trial?"

Locutus glanced back over his shoulder and explained "For this next trial, you will be tested on you're wits and you're ability to work together. So you're group will be combined with another group for this challenge" he smiled a little "I believe you know their leader and his friend Doctor"

"Do I?" said the Doctor, sounding interested.

Locutus nodded "I believe so".

The group came to a halt at another set of doors. Locutus stepped forward and opened the door, letting a cool breeze into the hall. Locutus stepped aside and motioned for the group enter first.

The Doctor stepped through the doorway followed by the young heroes, Maria and Locutus, who closed the doors behind them.

The group found themselves standing in a circular room. The walls were smooth, grey and metal. There were strange light fixtures embedded in the walls. Locutus strolled over to the other side of the room and he led them through a set of metal doors that slide aside as they approached them.

The group walked through a hallway, up a few flights of stairs and another hallway till they reached what looked like a control room. There were several consoles that looked more advanced than anything found on earth.

Hanging behind the consoles was a flat, glass screen that had alien letters floating around.

The Doctor noticed a few windows and a balcony. The Doctor walked over to the balcony and found himself over looking a spacious room. The Doctor studied the room beneath him. He saw that it was large; it had several different doors that had stained glass windows embedded into them.

He glanced up and noticed doors that looked like the aperture of a camera "Interesting" muttered the Doctor

"What's interesting?" asked Miss Martian.

The Doctor turned to the group and he saw that they were inspecting the control room "I know this place"

"You do?" asked Kid Flash.

Locutus smiled a little "I had a feeling that you would"

"What are you talking about? What is this place?" asked Superboy

"The home of the ancestors" answered Maria, in total awe.

Everyone turned to Maria.

Locutus smiled "Indeed it is, but not exactly, it's only a copy. The original is still safely tucked away beneath the waves of Lantea"

"Impressive" commented the Doctor as he stared up at the stain glass ceiling "It's just like the original" the Doctor suddenly grinned and pointed to a portion of the ceiling "It even has that scorch mark. I remember that being there from my last visit"

"Who are these ancestors?" asked Kid Flash.

The Doctor turned and answered, "The Ancestors are a nice group of humans who lived long before your kind and they did some impressive things. Impressive for humans."

The Doctor sighed sadly "But they're all gone now"

"How?" asked Kid Flash

"Well it was a disease at first" said the Doctor "But then they went to war with a species that had them vastly outnumbered. They submerged their city beneath the waves of their home planet and they had a siege that lasted a hundred years, until eventually they abandoned their city and escaped to earth, where they lived on for the remainder of their lives"

The Doctor sighed sadly but he perked up "But some still live on to this very day"

"Really?" asked Robin

"Yep, they live on as beings of pure energy on a different level of existence" said the Doctor. He scratched his chin "I don't think I could live as a being of pure energy, it'd be very dull".

The Doctor shook his head "Anyway, what's the challenge?"

Locutus smiled "Well I think this one is a little tricky, so listen up" everyone focused on Locutus.

Locutus explained, "For this challenge you will have to navigate through the city and try to find the escape ship before the city sinks beneath the waves. If you don't, you will drown"

"Sound's easy enough" said Kid Flash.

Locutus held up a finger "Ah, Ah, I wouldn't be so quick to judge young man"

Locutus pulled out a pocket watch from his jacket "You have a set time limit of seven hours"

"Why give us all that time?" asked Superboy "It would seem like an unfair advantage for us" said Aqualad.

"That's because this city is vast" said the Doctor.

Everyone looked to the Doctor as he explained, "This city is big enough to house an entire civilization for hundreds of years and never run out of room. In my opinion seven hours is generous for both sides".

The entire team thought about what the Doctor said and they all nodded "That sounds good" said Kid Flash.

The Doctor asked "Anything else?"

Locutus nodded "Yes" he shoved the pocket watch back into his jacket "You and your teammates must get to the transport before the city floods, anyone left behind will drown. No exceptions".

Locutus bowed "Now if you excuse me, I will now fetch your teammates. Please wait here" he turned on his heels and left.

* * *

><p>The team waited in the control room for a few minutes.<p>

Robin watched Maria as she took in the city. Her eyes were wide and her jaw hung open "Is something wrong?" asked Robin.

Maria looked to Robin and shook her head "No, its just…the city of the Ancestors. I never thought I would live to see it"

"You've heard of it?" asked Artemis.

Maria nodded "Yes, everyone in my home galaxy has heard of it. It is the home of our ancestors." She smiled fondly "I used to hear grand stories of this magnificent city back on Olesia. But now…" she shook her head in disbelief "It is like a dream"

"It is quite a sight", said the Doctor, leaning against the railing of the balcony.

Miss Martian turned to the Doctor "You've been here before?"

The Doctor nodded "Yes, several times. Wonderful people the Ancestors. Brilliant, strong and very resilient but then the war came…" the Doctor went quiet for a moment.

Miss Martian saw a look of deep sadness appear on his face but it quickly changed to one of fondness "You should've been here during their golden age, this city was bursting with ideas and life, it was a lot of fun".

They heard some voices coming up from the stairway.

The first person to arrive was Locutus "…and that is what you need to do, no exceptions"

"No problem" replied a male voice.

The Doctor blinked in surprise. He knew that voice.

A man stepped into the control room after Locutus. The first thing everyone noticed was that the man was tall. He wore a blue RAF coat. The man had dark hair and a broad, toothy grin "The City of the Ancestors, the boys back in the Time Agency would've given their arms and legs to find this place" said the man as he studied the control room.

The man noticed the costumed heroes and Maria "Hello there" said the man.

He extended a hand to each of them "Captain Jack Harkness" introduced the man, he flashed each of them a flirtatious smile. They all introduced themselves to the captain.

When he got to the Doctor he studied the time lord asking "And who are you?"

"Jack" said the Doctor "Its me"

Jack frowned in confusion but his eyes widened in realization "Doctor?"

The Doctor grinned "Yep"

"Doctor!" cried Jack, joyously. He pulled the Doctor into a bear hug.

The two laughed and broke off the embrace "How…what?" said Jack, motioning to the Doctor's face

"Regeneration" answered the Doctor "Had a bit of work done"

"Looks good" complimented Jack

"Thanks" said the Doctor.

Superboy frowned "You guys know each other?" "Yep" said the Doctor "We used to travel together for a while but he went and got a job"

Captain Jack chuckled a little "Yeah but it wasn't as fun as traveling with you"

"Jack?" said a voice.

Everyone turned and saw Jack's group marching up the stairs. There was a dark skinned woman, a man in a tattered brown cloak and two teenage boys.

The woman gave the Doctor a suspicious look "Who's he?"

"He's the Doctor" said Jack. The woman's eyes widened in shock "That's him?" Jack nodded.

"Doctor!" she cried as she ran over and threw her arms around the Doctor.

The Doctor returned the hug saying, "Hello Martha".

After about a minute, they broke off the embrace. Martha smiled "It's good to see you again" "You too" said The Doctor, smiling.

The Doctor introduced Martha to the group and they all introduced themselves. The Doctor looked over to the man in the cloak and the two teens. The man had dark shaggy hair and a scar on his cheek.

One of the teens had blond hair while the other had red hair.

The Doctor approached the three and introduced himself "Hello, I'm the Doctor"

"I'm Nick" said the blond teen

"I'm Seth" said the redhead. The Doctor shook their hands and he turned to the man in the cloak "And who might you be?" The man said nothing. He just eyed the Doctor suspiciously and looked away.

The Doctor turned to Nick and Seth and asked, "Can he talk?"

"I don't know" said Nick, shrugging "He hasn't said a word to either of us" said Seth.

Locutus cleared his throat "Attention!" Everyone turned to the grey haired man.

Locutus smiled "Thank you" he motioned to a stair way on the opposite side of the control room "Once you reach the bottom of those stairs, the task will begin" he held a up a finger "But I suggest leaving as soon as possible. There are hidden dangers and obstacles in this city, the sooner you leave, the quicker you'll be able to get to the finish line".

Locutus pulled out his watch and he looked at the time "I better go, I have other duties to attend to" he pocketed his watch and he vanished in a puff of smoke.

After Locutus had left, the Doctor spoke "Well, lets get a move on" he descended the stairway with the entire group following closely behind.

* * *

><p>After they had descended a long, circular stairway, the group found themselves in a long, empty hall.<p>

The group walked down the hall and stopped in front of a wide glass window that gave them an impressive view of the city.

Most of the group stared out at the city in awe with the exception of The Doctor.

Kid Flash voiced what was on everyone's mind "That is so cool".

The city was vast. The sprawling, metal city stretched out for miles beneath a cloudless blue sky. It stretched on so far, that it was impossible to see where the city ended.

The cityscape was dotted with high towers and block like buildings.

There were also long metal conduits that snaked through the city and connected to buildings.

Jack whistled "Impressive"

"We have to find the escape ship in that?" said Nick, breathlessly.

Everyone turned to the Doctor, who was deep in thought.

Martha asked, "So, any idea where the escape ship is?"

"Two" said The Doctor

"That narrows it down" said Robin.

The Doctor nodded a little "Yes, well these two places are pretty far away"

"Well, what are we doing standing here?" said Martha, "Lets get going, I don't know about you guys, but I don't plan on drowning"

"Same here" said Artemis.

The Doctor grinned "Allons-y!" he turned and took off running down the hall.

Most of the group chased after him, Martha smiled "That takes me back" she took off running after them.

* * *

><p>The group weaved through long halls, passed through spacious courtyards and up and down stairways.<p>

They were passing through a long hall filled with metal pillars that held up the ceiling, when suddenly the Doctor skidded to a stop.

Everyone stopped.

Robin asked, "What's wrong?" The Doctor's eyes scanned the hall and he whispered, "I'm not sure".

The Doctor reached into his pocket and withdrew a cookie. He murmured something then he hurled it down the hall.

The cookie soared down the empty hall and it exploded into a million pieces.

The Doctor frowned "That's not good" "What just happened?" asked Seth.

The Doctor turned to face the group "That end of the hall is blocked off by a Destruction field, anyone who walks into it will explode"

"What do we do?" asked Robin "We double back and try to go around" said Jack.

The Doctor nodded and the group retreated out of the hall.

As they made their way down the hall, the group came to a stop.

The Doctor and Jack glanced around then to each other "Doctor, do you see what I see?" said Jack

"Yes, I do" said the Doctor.

Everyone looked around in confusion but they soon realized what they were talking about. The hall had changed.

A solid metal wall sealed off the way they came in and there were two more hallways that branched off in two different directions.

Kid Flash scratched his head "Ok, I don't get it. Why is there a wall there, when clearly it wasn't there before?" "Its what Locutus said" said Jack, he glanced at the two new hallways "There are obstacles and dangers in this city"

"Like the destruction field" said Martha.

The Doctor studied their options then he pointed to the hall that led east, saying "That way"

"How do you know?" asked Martha

"I don't" answered the Doctor, smiling "But if we don't go now, the city will shift even more".

The Doctor led the group through more halls and courtyards. They ran into a few more destruction fields and shifting halls that forced them to change coarse and double back.

* * *

><p>After about three hours, the group decided to take a break.<p>

They settled down in a spacious rooftop garden that was at the top of a grand spire.

Martha leaned against a railing that guarded the edge of the roof, inspecting the sprawling city below. The Doctor and Captain Jack stepped up beside her and looked out at the city as well.

After a few minutes of silence, Martha spoke "You look different"

"Yes, well I had some work done" said The Doctor, casually.

Martha glanced at the time lord, "Regeneration?"

The Doctor nodded "Yes".

Martha frowned "How?"

"Christmas Day" explained The Doctor "The Master had returned and did some nasty things"

"That guy is as much fun as a bag of wet cats" said Jack.

Martha snorted and The Doctor smiled a little.

The Doctor sighed, "Well…he brought back Gallifrey" his two former companions looked at him in shock "He did?" asked Martha.

The Doctor nodded "Yes but what he didn't know was that he was being used by Lord President Rassilon, who wanted to rip open the Eye of Harmony by destroying Gallifrey and Earth, thus ending the universe. But in the end I managed to send Rassilon, the horrors of the time war and Gallifrey back into the time lock. Rassilon tried to kill me but The Master intervened and saved me"

Martha and Jack stared at the Doctor incredulously.

The Doctor blinked "What?"

"He saved you?" said Martha in disbelief.

The Doctor nodded "Yes" "But he's your enemy" said Martha "He took over the earth, he tortured you and my family"

The Doctor nodded "Yes but remember, he was my friend, long ago"

"So what happened?" asked Jack.

The Doctor sighed "Wilfred, Donna's grandfather, he was trapped in an isolation chamber that would've been flooded with radiation. I helped him and I took on the radiation but it was too much. It triggered a regeneration but not before I said goodbye to you both, Rose and Sarah Jane"

Martha and Jack absorbed what they heard.

Martha eventually spoke "So, do you have new companions?"

"I do" said the Doctor, nodding. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small photo of two people.

The Doctor showed the photo to Jack and Martha "Amy and Rory, they've been traveling with me for a while but they now live at home. Married and have a life of their own"

"Good to see that you hadn't been traveling alone" said Jack.

The Doctor smiled and he turned back around and studied their group. Martha glanced at the Doctor "Doctor, do you know whose behind this?" T

he Doctor frowned "I have a few idea's but its impossible"

"Impossible how?" asked Jack "Impossible because they're all dead" answered the Doctor.

Martha and Jack stared at the Doctor. The Doctor looked at them then shook his head "No I didn't do it".

The two looked a little relieved. The Doctor shook his head "Whoever is behind this is powerful, incredibly powerful."

His eyes narrowed a little "Maybe…." Suddenly there was a high-pitched scream filled the air.

Everyone looked around them for the source of the scream. Suddenly the Doctor's eyes widened "Oh no!" he sprinted across the garden and down the stairs the group came up earlier. Robin, Artemis and Aqualad chased after him. The four of them ran down a short distance and they came to a halt at a wall.

The Doctor placed his hand on the wall muttering "That wasn't there before"

"Who screamed?" asked Aqualad

"I think it was that girl Maria" said Artemis.

The Doctor called out "Maria! Maria, can you hear me?" there was no reply.

The Doctor turned and he quickly ran back up the stairs to the rooftop garden. He quickly counted the number of people on the roof and he muttered "Only one gone"

"Doctor, what's going on?" asked Jack

"Maria's missing" said The Doctor "and the hall has shifted again"

"What do we do?" asked Martha.

The Doctor swallowed and said "We continue on to the escape ship, for now"

"What about Maria?" asked Robin.

The Doctor shook his head "There's nothing more we can do for her now, it will take too long to go around and by the time we get to the other side, it may be too late"

Silence befell the group.

Suddenly there was a loud boom that shook the entire city. The Doctor, Jack and Martha went to the nearest railing to investigate.

Down below, the city began to quake and rumble. The streets began to crack open and water began to spill out of the openings in the earth like blood from a wound. Several buildings collapsed into dust and were swallowed up by dark blue ocean water.

The Doctor looked at his watch muttering, "We're running out of time"

"Lets go!" said Jack. Without another word, everyone made a beeline for the stairs.

* * *

><p>In another part of the city, Maria laid curled up in a ball on the cold metal floor. She clutched her head whimpering, "P-please…don't do this"<p>

"_Rise and shine my little doll"_ whispered the voice of her creator in a soothing tone "_Time to wake and do your duty"_.

She moaned. Her body began to shake and there were loud, sickening snaps. She thrashed about howling in agony and her eyes turned black as coal.

Standing over her was Locutus, who watch in sadness as the girl transformed into a new, horrifying form.

* * *

><p>The group sprinted down the hall as quickly as possible. Outside buildings began to crumble and vanish into the rising ocean waves.<p>

Several passages had sealed themselves up to block out ocean water.

They zigzagged through different passages, stairways and large empty rooms. As they ran down another hall, Kid Flash said in between breaths "How…much…further"

"Not far now" said The Doctor.

They rounded a corner and they came to a complete stop.

At the far end of the hall was an open doorway but standing in front of it was Maria.

She stood there with a blank look on her face.

Miss Martian looked relieved "Maria, you're ok" she stepped forward but The Doctor put his hand on her shoulder "Wait"

"Why?" asked Miss Martian

"Something's wrong here" said The Doctor.

Miss Martian frowned "What is it?"

"For starters, how did she find us?" said the Doctor.

Everyone turned their attention to Maria. The Doctor stepped forward saying "Maria, or whatever your real name is, lets talk"

Maria's head tilted to one side, her eyes focused on the Doctor.

The Doctor took another few steps toward her till he stopped, just a few feet away form her.

"Who are you, really?" asked the Doctor "You are not a human, obviously from your rare eye color and from your planet of origin"

"What about it?" asked Jack

"She said she was from Olesia" said the Doctor, he glanced to Jack then to Maria "A nice little planet in the Pegasus Galaxy. Inhabited mostly by humans, until every one last on of them were wiped out, thirty six years ago. Every last man, woman and child are all gone, nothing remains except for dust and ash".

Everyone's eyes widened in shock.

The Doctor scowled "So, tell me who are you?"

Maria twitched a little. Her mouth opened with an audible creak and a deep voice spoke "_I am his vessel, I am his tool of destruction, I am your doom" _

The Doctor's eyebrows rose "Oh and who is 'he'?" The girl's mouth twitched into a cruel smile and she a let out a deep booming laugh.

The girl's body began to change. Her limbs stretched and grew. Her arms became long and boney like spider legs. Her face became feral and animalistic. Her eyes became black as night and her fingers became claws.

Within seconds the girl had changed into a large, twisted parody of herself that towered over the Doctor.

Maria's mouth opened, revealing a set of razor sharp teeth.

She let out a roar that rattled the entire hall.

Maria lunged forward to attack the Doctor but The Doctor felt a hand pull him out of Maria's reach and he saw that it was Superboy.

Superboy threw himself at the monster. He threw a punch that sent the monster staggering. In an instant the monster recovered and it swatted Superboy aside as if he were an insect.

With Superboy distracting Maria, the Doctor turned to his companions "Hurry! To the escape ship!" without hesitation, everyone hurried past the time lord and hurried through the doorway.

The doorway led to a spacious, empty hanger.

Inside it laid a large, sleek ship that resembled a futuristic fighter jet. Nick, Seth, Robin, Artemis, Miss Martian, the man in brown and Martha sprinted up the boarding ramp and boarded the ship.

The entire hanger rumbled and a loud boom echoed through the hanger.

The Doctor turned and saw Superboy being thrown through the doorway. He tumbled across the floor and came to a stop a few feet away from the ship.

The Doctor leveled his sonic screwdriver at the entrance and activated it. The doors slammed shut and they locked themselves.

The monster roared and hammered away at the metal doors. The Doctor and Jack helped Superboy to his feet and they hurried back to the ship. The three climbed in and the ship's ramp rose and sealed everyone inside.

Jack hopped into the pilot's seat saying, "Hang on boy's and girls, this could get bumpy" everyone strapped themselves into their seats.

Jack hit a few buttons and the ship hummed to life. The Doctor hopped into the seat beside Jack saying "Open the hanger doors"

Jack nodded, "Got it" he punched some buttons on the controls and there was a loud rumble.

It sounded like thunder. Above them, the two saw the ceiling split and open, letting the bright light of day in.

There was a loud boom and the doors leading to the hanger were knocked off their hinges and seawater began to flood in. Jack kicked the ships engines into action and the ship began to rise.

But suddenly the ship lurched backward and it slowly began to descend.

Jack frowned and he struggled with the controls "Ok, that's not good"

"What is?" asked Robin

"Something is holding us down" said The Doctor.

They heard a muffled roar coming from outside. Kid flash groaned "That girl dose not give up, dose she?" "I like that in a woman" quipped Jack.

The hanger was filling up with seawater quickly and pretty soon the ocean would cover the city above and it will rain down in the hanger, trapping them inside the city.

Maria's monstrous roars filled the ship and there were loud metallic groans, indicating that she was trying to claw open the ship like a can of sardines.

Artemis cried, "Do something!"

"Hang on!" said Jack.

He grabbed a lever and he threw it as far forward as he could, igniting the thrusters. The engines roared and the thrusters rumbled like cannons.

Maria screamed in pain and suddenly the ship rocketed up through the open ceiling and into the city above.

* * *

><p>The transport ship rocketed past the towering structures and shot up into the deep blue sky.<p>

Jack disengaged the thrusters and he managed to level the transport out.

The Doctor and Jack looked outside and saw that they were hovering near by the central spire of the city.

The two watched as it slowly sank beneath the cerulean waves of the ocean.

The Doctor sighed. Jack placed a hand on the time lord's shoulder "There was nothing you could've done, that girl was twisted by whoever invented these sick games"

"I know" said the Doctor, sadly "But I should've done more"

"You saved those kids" said Jack, nodding back at the people in the rear cabin.

The Doctor glanced back and saw them looking out the window at the sinking city below

"Without you, these kids would be lost" said Jack.

The Doctor nodded slowly "Yes, well I couldn't have done it without you"

Jack smiled "Thanks Doc".

As they watched the city be consumed by the ocean, The Doctor and Jack heard a beeping sound.

Aqualad appeared behind them "What is it?"

"I'm getting a transmission" said Jack.

He hit a few buttons and a holographic map appeared on the windshield in front of him. Beneath the map were several lines of text.

Jack read them then said aloud "It says to fly to the marked area on the map and there is where we will received instructions for our next task"

"No food?" said Kid Flash "Nope" said Jack. Kid Flash groaned and sat back in his seat.

Jack glanced back at the passengers "Everyone strap in, its going to be a long ride"

Everyone sat down in their seats and Jack it the thrusters, causing the ship to zoom towards their next destination.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile Locutus watched his master rise from his throne "Hmm, that went well" he said quietly.<p>

He walked away from his throne towards the floating crystal globe.

He touched the globe and it slowly drifted away from him and it floated into place beside another globe.

Locutus slowly approached the two globes as they floated together like two stars in the night.

The first contained a miniature forest and the second contained a small, silver city resting peacefully at the bottom of a miniature, blue ocean.

He placed a hand on the cold crystal surface murmuring "Maria"

"Oh why so glum?" asked his master.

Locutus glanced back at his master, who stood a few feet away holding another crystal globe "Your not upset about that girl are you?" asked his master.

Locutus hesitated for moment then said "no"

His master's eyes narrowed "Good, because if I hear any complaining out of you, I will make sure you will suffer a fate worse than that wretched girl did".

Locutus wanted to scream at his master for speaking ill of Maria but he bit his tongue.

What happened to his daughter was saddening but he just had to accept it. If he so much as thought about fighting against his master, he would be made to suffer a fate worse than death.

Locutus's master waved a hand "Go, get her ready"

"Sir?" said Locutus, his eyebrow rose a little

"Get. Her. Ready" growled his master.

Locutus was a little confused at first then his eyes widened in shock "Sir, do you mean-"

"Yes" said his master, as he gently caressed the globe in his hand.

Locutus bowed low "As you wish sire" he turned and scurried away, vanishing into the darkness that enshrouded the throne room.

Locutus's master smirked, "I'm sure the Doctor will appreciate what I have done for him. He'll be in quite a shock seeing her again, I mean after all, she should've perished like the rest of them. But I managed to pluck her out of that ghastly inferno and put her in the safety of my castle"

Multiple colors danced inside the crystal globe till they stopped and formed a single image. He smiled and he tossed the crystal high into the air.

The crystal rejoined the synchronized dance of floating globes in the darkness above.

He plopped back down on his throne humming a lively tune.

The Doctor and his friends may have trumped his doll, but lets see if he can best the lonely assassins.

The Weeping Angels.

**End of chapter**

* * *

><p><strong>(an: well what do you think? sorry for the wait and all. i hope i got Jack and Martha down alright. Well, review please)**


	7. Task 3: Where Boys Fear to Tread

**(a/n: I am so, so, so, so sorry for the wait. Please enjoy this new chapter!)**

* * *

><p><span>Ch.7-Task 3: Where Boys Fear to Tread<span>

The small transport ship zoomed across the clear blue sky carrying its passengers to their next task. In the pilot seat was Captain Jack Harkness, sitting in the co-pilot's chair was the Doctor.

They had recently completed the second task in an abandoned city that was filled with shifting halls and invisible traps.

They managed to get to the escape ship on time but they had lost a member of their group, a girl they had rescued from their first task. She went missing and she had transformed into a horrifying monster that tried to kill them. Luckily they escaped but Maria was left stranded in the abandoned city and she drowned along with city.

Presently everyone in the group was preparing themselves for what my lie ahead.

Robin noticed that Miss Martian was staring blankly out the window "M'gann, are you ok?" asked Robin.

Miss Martian blinked and she looked to Robin "Wha? Oh yeah I am" she mumbled.

Robin frowned "What is it?"

Miss Martian hesitated but she told him "Its Maria"

"What about her?" asked Robin.

Miss Martian sighed "We should've done something, we could've saved her"

"How?" said Robin "Remember, she was a twelve foot monster that was able to hold this ship down, how were supposed to save her?"

Miss Martian shrugged "I don't know, but we should've tried something" "Even if we did bring her along, it wouldn't have made any difference" said a voice.

Miss Martian and Robin looked up and saw the Doctor standing there. He knelt down to meet Miss Martian's eye level "Maria was far too gone for us to have done something"

"But couldn't you have done something?" asked Miss Martian.

The Doctor frowned and shrugged "I'm not sure, I have never seen something like that before. Given time, I may have found a solution but even then I doubt I could save her"

"Why?" asked Miss Martian.

The Doctor sighed deeply "Maria was no longer who she was, she was hollowed out and changed into a doll" "But she seemed so human" said Robin

"She was in deep cover" said The Doctor "her programming was to convince us that she was human. It was so good, even she was convinced that she was human"

"How do you know that?" asked Aqualad.

The Doctor glanced at the atlantian and said "One of my companions had something similar happen to him but to a lesser degree. He was deleted from existence but a Nestene doll was made to imitate him and to gain my trust. But once the time was right, his programming kicked in and he was forced to kill his wife but he fought his programming and eventually, he was free"

The Doctor scratched his chin "What happened to Maria was similar but I would say its something far more powerful than what happened to Rory".

Silence befell the group. After a minute, Jack called back to the Doctor from the cockpit "Doctor, we're almost there! You might want to strap in, this is going to get bumpy".

The Doctor returned his seat and strapped on his seat belt. The transport shook and rattled. The transport angled and it slowly began to descend from the sky.

* * *

><p>Outside, Locutus stood alone in a field. Behind him were a pair of tall grey walls that stretched high in the sky and stretched on for miles. Connecting the two walls was a tall, stone arch with iron gates. He watched as the ship slowly descended through thick cloud cover.<p>

Once the ship landed and the ramp lowered. The passengers disembarked the transport ship.

Locutus spread his arms and smiled "Welcome, to the next task. Glad to see that you all survived" "Not all of us" muttered Robin.

Locutus's lip twitched and he continued, "Right, well anyway on with the challenge shall we?" Everyone focused on the silver haired man.

Locutus explained, "Behind me is a graveyard. Get to the other side and you can move on to the next challenge".

The group stared at the man in disbelief "Seriously?" said Kid Flash

Locutus nodded "Yes"

"What's the catch?" asked Superboy "There's always a catch".

Locutus smiled "Ah, good question" he gestured to the gates "Through those gates, lie one of the most fearsome predators in the universe. The Weeping Angels" The Team looked at the silver haired man in confusion but The Doctor, Martha and Jack paled.

Locutus continued, "Reach the other side and don't let the Weeping Angels catch you. If you are caught, they will kill you. Understand?" Everyone swallowed and they nodded.

Locutus clapped his hands together "Good, now lets get going" he spun around and he marched up to the gates with the group following after him. The silver haired man reached into his pocket and withdrew a golden key. Locutus unlocked the gate and the gates swung open with a creak.

Through the stone archway, they saw a long dirt path that led into a vast, grey graveyard.

Locutus stepped aside and he motioned them to pass through the gates, saying, "The challenge begins once you step through the gate".

The Doctor looked through the gate and he took a deep breath muttering, "Here we go".

The Time Lord stepped through the gate, passed under the archway and started down the dirt path. Jack followed after him with Martha and the others bringing up the rear.

Once they all passed through the gate, Locutus closed the gates and locked them.

* * *

><p>The Doctor trudged down the path with the others following closely behind. The Time Lord scanned his surroundings for any sign of the Weeping Angels.<p>

Aqualad noticed that the Doctor was tense and asked, "Doctor, what's wrong?"

"Nothing" said The Doctor casually "Nothing really, I'm just appreciating the fact that we're in a graveyard with a bunch of Weeping Angels waiting to pounce on us"

"What's a Weeping Angel?" asked Artemis

"One of the most dangerous creatures in the universe" said the Doctor ominously

"More dangerous than the Vashta Nerada?" asked Superboy

"They're worse" said Jack "Way worse".

Everyone looked at Jack in shock and The Doctor continued, "They are an ancient race. They were born at the beginning of the universe"

"What do they look like?" asked Robin. The Doctor glanced back at him and said "They look like stone statues of crying angels"

A chill ran down everyone's spine. Robin glanced around and he saw some stone statues but they were of men, women and some animals. Wally swallowed "Any tips on how to beat them?"

"Don't blink" warned the Doctor "Don't look away and try not to out run them"

"What happens if we blink or look away?" asked Nick nervously.

The Doctor glanced back and said calmly "You die"

. Everyone took the Doctor's warning to heart and they kept their guard up.

The group continued down the path for several minutes with no problem at all. As they trudged down the path, Nick saw a shape move in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw nothing but headstones and crypts for miles.

Nick frowned and trudged on. A chilly wind blew through the graveyard, brining a thick grey mist.

The Doctor's eyes widened a little and he turned to the others "Everybody, stay closely together and keep an eye out for the Weeping Angels!" They obeyed. The group formed a tight protective circle and started scanning their surroundings. The mist grew thicker and thicker.

Slowly, their vision became clouded and they couldn't see more than four feet away from them. The heartbeat of everybody in the group began to quicken.

In the mist, they heard hissing and movement. They even heard a few giggles and tiny footsteps. The Doctor's eyes almost popped out of his skull "Oh no"

"What is it?" asked Aqualad

"Baby Weeping Angels" breathed Jack "They're just as bad as fully grown ones and twice as creepy" "Don't forget fast" added The Doctor.

The Doctor drew his sonic screwdriver and Jack drew his revolver. The group's pace slowed down until they were inching down the path. Nick saw a large shape move in the mist and he suddenly bumped into something. He spun around and he found himself staring into the eyes of a Weeping Angel. The angel stood in the dead center of the group's protective circle and it had an eerie smile on its face.

Before Nick could scream or warn the others, he vanished in a swirl of mist.

Seth heard some giggling coming from behind. He glanced back and saw a gap in the group's circle. His eyes widened in horror "Nick's gone!"

Everybody stopped and looked to where the blond once was. The Doctor breathed "No, no, no" he glanced around at the encroaching mist. The time lord scowled "They got him"

"What did they do to him?" asked Superbo

y "I-Is he dead?" whimpered Seth.

The Doctor nodded grimly "I am sorry".

Seth began trembling "Oh God". Martha placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and the group continued on cautiously. The Doctor eyed the mist warily, keeping his screwdriver leveled like a weapon.

As they traveled through the mist, they heard more giggling and footsteps. Wally shivered "These things are seriously going to be in my nightmares"

"That makes two of us" muttered Superboy.

Seth's eyes scanned the mist around them and he froze in place. A short distance away stood a stone mausoleum with its doors wide open. Lying unconscious in the doorway he saw Nick. Seth's expression brightened a little and he exclaimed "Nick!" everyone stopped and they looked towards the mausoleum.

They were all surprised to see him alive. The Doctor frowned and he scanned the mausoleum with this screwdrive. Analyzing the readings, the time lord muttered, "That can't be right". Seth took off running towards the mausoleum.

The Doctor's eyes widened in realization and he yelled, "Wait, no! Don't go in there!" But it was too late. Seth reached the mausoleum and Nick's unconscious form moved, suddenly grabbing Seth by the throat.

The mist drifted around the mausoleum and blocked the group's view. They heard Seth screaming in agony and it abruptly went silent.

The Doctor clenched his jaw and he gripped his sonic screwdriver tightly. Suddenly Miss Martian yelped.

Everyone turned and they saw standing just inches away from her, a stone angel with large fangs bared and an ugly scowl on its face.

"Don't blink" warned the Doctor "It can't touch you if you don't blink" "Ok" said Miss Martian

"And don't look into its eyes" added The Doctor.

Everyone kept their eyes on the Weeping Angel. Superboy heard something and he quickly turned and came face to face with another Weeping Angel.

The same thing happened to Robin, Jack and Martha.

Pretty soon the group found themselves surrounded on all sides by Weeping Angels. The Time Lord's hearts thumped away. He quickly came up with a plan. The Doctor told his companions "When I give the signal, run in any direction. Run as far as you can and quickly head for the exit. Got it?" everyone nodded.

The Doctor raised his sonic screwdriver to the sky and he clicked the button. A loud high-pitched tone emitted from the screwdriver. Everyone covered their ears as the tone pierced their eardrums.

The mist rolled through the group and before everyone lost sight of each other, they saw the Doctor mouth "Run!"

Once the mist shrouded them all, each member of the group took off running.

As they all ran, they heard low growls and snarls of pain and annoyance.

* * *

><p>Wally zigzagged through the graveyard, Superboy, Artemis and Martha ran as fast as they could. Robin, the man in brown, Aqualad and Jack ran and they quickly hid in a small mausoleum.<p>

The Doctor and Miss Martian ran past a large obelisk and they ducked behind a large stone cube.

The time lord and the Martian paused to catch their breath.

Miss Martian connected with the rest of the team through telepathy. So far they all managed to escape from the Weeping Angels safely.

Miss Martian glanced to the Doctor "What did you do to them?"

"I merely bombarded their senses and temporarily blinded them in both sight and sound" explained the Doctor

"_Great, but now where do we go?" _asked Wally

"_We can't keep this up forever" _said Aqualad.

"_This mist is getting thicker, its going to be pretty hard to find the exit soon and the Weeping Angels are going to be pretty ticked" _added Jack "_If we don't get out soon, we're dead meat"_.

The Doctor frowned and thought for a moment. So far nothing came to mind.

"_…Doc…Doctor"_ hissed a voice. The time lord frowned "What?"

"I didn't say anything" said Miss Martian.

_"…Doctor…Doctor"_ hissed the voice. The Doctor looked to Miss Martian than he glanced around him.

He got up and glanced around at the graveyard until he spotted the source of the voice. Standing there in a crimson and gold cloak was a blond woman. She had fair features, light eyes and thin lips. Her hair and cloak flapped lazily in the wind. She had a solemn look on her face. The woman raised a hand and gestured the Doctor to follow.

The Doctor frowned and muttered "Who are you?"

the woman didn't answer. She only gestured for him to follow.

The Doctor nudged Miss Martian and she got up. She saw the woman as well "Who is she?"

"I don't know" said The Doctor "But I think we should follow her".

He approached the woman but she turned and began walking away at a brisk pace. The Doctor and Miss Martian picked up their pace.

The woman walked continued ahead of them for a few minutes until she walked behind a tree. The Doctor ran and he went around the tree, expecting to find the woman but he saw that the woman had vanished.

Instead, there stood a stone arch that led out of the graveyard.

The time lord frowned in confusion as to where the woman could have gone and who she may have been. A few ideas came to mind but each was as ridiculous as the next

. Miss Martian caught up with the doctor and she saw the arch "The exit?"

The Doctor nodded "Yes, it seems that we made it" "How?" asked Miss Martian.

The time lord shook his head "I don't know".

They heard footsteps and saw a pair of shapes emerging from the mist. It was Jack and Aqualad. Soon other shapes began emerging from the thick mist, each of them looking confused and bewildered.

Jack looked to the Doctor "How'd you get here?"

The Doctor explained how they followed the woman and asked Jack how he found the exit. Jack nodded slowly "Same here"

"Same for all of us" said Robin.

The Doctor was deep in thought when Martha asked, "Who is she?"

The Doctor blinked "I'm sorry?" "The woman, who is she?" asked Martha.

The Doctor shook his head "I don't know, but she seems very familiar". His eyes narrowed a little and he muttered something under his breath.

The Doctor clapped his hands together "Never mind about her, I'm sure we'll figure it out later. First, lets leave this dreadful place". The time lord and his companions marched out of the graveyard together.

On the other side of the arch was a vast, rolling field of green with a shining sun rising from beyond the horizon.

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><p>Locutus watched as the Doctor and his companions leave the graveyard.<p>

His master jumped out of his seat and grabbed the crystal orb he was watching them with "No!" he screamed "No! That's not how its supposed to be!"

He chucked the crystal ball to the obsidian floor. It landed with a loud crack and it shattered into a million pieces.

Locutus watched as his master jump up and down on the crystal shards screaming "No fair! No fair! They cheated!"

Locutus asked his master "My lord, what happened?"

"The Doctor and his little gang escaped the Weeping Angels!" spat his master "With _her_ help!"

Locutus frowned "I thought she was trapped in the pod"

"She is" said his master as he scowled at the large crystal casket that sat next to his throne "I don't know how but no psychic thought should've been able to break through its barrier" "Then how did she help the Doctor?" asked Locutus.

His master frowned "I don't know" he approached the casket.

Encased in glimmering crystal was a blond woman dressed in scarlet and gold robes. The edges of her robes were singed and her blond hair was frozen in a wild mess.

Locutus's master placed a hand on the cool, crystal lid of the casket and muttered, "Even after all this time, she is still trying to return to her doctor" he smiled a little and shook his head "I expected nothing less from the former Lady President of Gallifrey".

End of chapter

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><p><strong>(an: what do you think? Sorry if this sucks and all. Please review!)**


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